Grammy-winning rapper Big Daddy Kane recently sat down with VladTV and was challenged to create a list of Hip-Hop’s 3 greatest MCs that did not include himself.
Pausing to contemplate the challenge of not being able to include himself on the list, the “Ain’t No Half Steppin'” wordsmith insists, “I can’t do that,” before adding, “Because I’m so f***ing incredible. I gotta be in there.”
Big Daddy Kane, KRS & Rakim Changed How People Rhymed
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Eventually, the lists is comprised of himself and two other Golden Era titans, Rakim and KRS-One. Expanding his perspective on why he chose The Alpha and Omega of Hip-Hop and the Teacha, he says, “With Rakim you’re talking about someone who helped change and reshape Hip-Hop.” Kane quips that several great lyricists have followed Rakim’s legacy, but “I haven’t seen anyone change the lyrical game like how it changed in the ’80s…me, KRS and Rakim, we basically changed the whole way people rhymed in the ’80s.”
When speaking on The Blastmaster, Big Daddy Kane avows, “His longevity, his diversity, and his battle skills are amazing as an MC [and] as a lyricist.” Kane then asserts, “Me, KRS, and Rakim we basically changed the whole way people rhymed in the ’80’s.”
Later on, he states that he considers Rakim, KRS, Nas, Kool G Rap, Biggie, Jay Z, Eminem, and Big Pun to be lyrical geniuses, so narrowing it down to such a small list is difficult. Kane insists, “it’s really hard to name three.”
Check out the full clip to see what Big Daddy Kane says about Nas and what other MCs inspired today’s legends.